Chief Rev. Dr. Trimble Gilbert is a Gwich’in Athabascan Elder and speaker of Dinjii Zhuh K’yaa, the Gwich’in language. Trimble currently serves as the First Traditional Chief of the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) region and is an Episcopal priest, a renowned fiddle player, and a music educator who has performed throughout the United States and Canada. In 2016, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Trimble is a cultural treasure!

Trimble was born at a trapping camp 70 miles from Arctic Village, where he continues to live a traditional Gwich’in lifestyle with his wife, Mary Gilbert. When speaking of his home, Trimble told us, “I know I was born here. Where I live, that's the only place – my life is here.”

Trimble has been involved with the AKPIRG Language Access team since its inception in 2018. He has done numerous projects and created many messages that touch on deep cultural knowledge in relation to wellness and caring for one another. During the COVID pandemic, Alaska Native language experts and artists collaborated to create health-related messages like this sticker and this poster, made by Trimble and other Neets’aii Gwich'in language experts.

“We are connected to the land, water, air, snow, rain, ahtraii, wind and datthak, everything… Traditional life means you need to learn lots from the elders. Why did the elders live a long time? Why are they strong? They lived on their own land, eating Native food, and they are happy together.” –Trimble Gilbert

AKPIRG’s language access team is honored and fortunate to work with Trimble as a language panelist. Thank you for all you do for your community, Trimble. Mahsi’ choo! Hai’ee!

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